Ancona, Port city in Marche region, Italy
Located between Monte Conero, Monte Astagno, and Monte Guasco, Ancona extends along the Adriatic coast with a natural harbor shaped like an elbow.
Greek colonists from Syracuse founded the settlement in 387 BC and chose the name based on the curved shape of the promontory jutting into the sea. Over the centuries, the harbor grew into a major port under Roman, Byzantine, and later papal control.
The Cathedral of San Ciriaco combines Romanesque and Byzantine architectural elements, featuring a twelve-sided dome atop Monte Guasco overlooking the port.
The main train station offers regular connections to other Italian cities, and the harbor serves ferry lines to Croatia, Greece, and Albania. Visitors exploring the old town will find many narrow lanes and staircases climbing from the waterfront up to the hills.
A Roman triumphal arch from the 2nd century AD stands at the harbor entrance, commissioned by Emperor Trajan. The structure is the only completely preserved Roman honorary arch along the Italian Adriatic coast.
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